Zero to Hero

In my last post I mentioned my hero complex, I wanted to dive into that a bit further. Tying these back to a previous post makes me feel like this is a continuation of thoughts, diary style.

I am someone who has, and will always be obsessed with the idea of Heroes… Heroes like Hercules… honey you mean – Hunk-ules! I digress.

I’ve been captivated by the hero’s journey more than anything. In video games, given the option, I’d play and replay Story Mode before even touching Vs or Battle Mode because I need to know why I have to throw Turtle Shells at other Turtles or jump on the heads of side stepping Mushroom-like creatures.

As someone who loves and yearns for this adventure, I struggle with the realization that I don’t have telekinetic abilities or superhuman strength and theres no evil over lord who has taken my family hostage and the only way to save them is to team up with my trusted mouse friend and a hot skantily clad female who everyone expects me to “get with” after we beat up the baddies. But alas, that’s not the life I live.

I can’t help but feel I can still be the hero I have dreamt I am so many times… but how? Looking at myself in the mirror there’s atleast a 6-pack of differences I can find between me and my favourite heroes.

But is that what makes a hero? The muscles and spandex? Because if so that’s not me… I’ve toyed with the idea of sticking with a strict diet and exercise routine but as someone with both Gluten and Lactose sensitivities – if you tell me to completely give up sugar, I will straight up never speak to you again.

So what does being a hero mean to me? One of my favourite quotes from the Buffy spin-off Angel, has Angel talking to his son about what it means to be a champion of the people, or as I see it, a hero.

But I did get time to think… about us… about the world. Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. It’s harsh, and cruel. But that’s why there’s us – champions. Doesn’t matter where we come from, what we’ve done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world is as it should be, to show it what it can be. You’re not a part of that yet. I hope you will be.

We live as though the world is as it should be, to show it what it can be. Legit, Joss Whedon is a lyrical genius. This quote is so powerful in my life because I realize I can’t change the world in a “stopping a giant asteroid from blowing up the planet” or “throwing the One Ring into the fires of Mordor”-kind of way but that quote doesn’t denote any such act.

I think the sooner I start seeing my life as a hero’s journey – the sooner I’ll become the hero I’ve always dreamt I could be, and low-key think I’ve always been.